Examination Anxiety and Performance Among Senior Secondary School Students in Katsina State, North West Nigeria

Examination anxiety is a significant psychological barrier to academic success among Nigerian secondary school students, and its relationship with performance outcomes in high-stakes settings such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination warrants empirical scrutiny in North West contexts. This study examines the relationship between examination anxiety and academic performance among senior secondary school students in Katsina State. A cross-sectional survey is applied to 275 SS3 students from eight schools across Katsina North and Katsina South local government areas, selected through stratified cluster sampling. The Westside Test Anxiety Scale and most recent mock examination scores are used as instruments, alongside a questionnaire capturing sociodemographic characteristics and prior examination history. Pearson correlation, t-test, and regression analysis are computed in SPSS. Literature from North West Nigerian educational settings identifies inadequate preparation, fear of parental disappointment, and peer performance comparisons as the dominant antecedents of examination anxiety, with moderate anxiety levels associated with optimal performance in line with the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Spielberger's Anxiety Theory and Test Anxiety Theory by Zeidner provide the theoretical framework. Findings are expected to reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between anxiety and performance, informing examination preparation counselling in Katsina State schools. Keywords: examination anxiety, academic performance, senior secondary school, Katsina State, North West Nigeria.